Before connecting to Azure, you must first create a user account with a valid subscription. The Azure free account includes free access to popular Azure products for 12 months, $200 USD credit to spend for the first 30 days, and access to more than 25 products that are always free. This is an excellent way for new users to get started and explore.
To sign up, you need to have a phone number, a credit card, and a Microsoft or GitHub account. Credit card information is used for identity verification only. You won't be charged for any services unless you upgrade. Starting is free, plus you get $200 USD credit to spend during the first 30 days and free amounts of services. At the end of your first 30 days or after you spend your $200 USD credit (whichever comes first), you'll only pay for what you use beyond the free monthly amounts of services. To keep getting free services after 30 days, you can move to pay-as-you-go pricing. If you don't move to the pay-as-you-go plan, you can't purchase Azure services beyond your $200 USD credit — and eventually your account and services will be disabled. For additional details regarding the free account, check out the Azure free account FAQs.
When you sign up, an Azure subscription is created by default. An Azure subscription is a logical container used to provision resources in Azure. It holds the details of all your resources like virtual machines (VMs), databases, and more. When you create an Azure resource like a VM, you identify the subscription it belongs to. As you use the VM, the usage of the VM is aggregated and billed monthly. You can create multiple subscriptions for different purposes.
Sign up for a free Azure account for evaluation purposes by following the process outlined in the Microsoft Azure online tutorial. It is highly recommended to go through the entire section of the tutorial so that you fully understand what billing and support plans are available and how they all work.
Should you encounter any issues with your account or subscription, submit a technical support ticket. Technical support for Azure is provided by Microsoft.